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An auroa lights up the night sky at Lake Ellesmere. - Source: Craig Crew
An aurora as seen from Observation Rock, Stewart Island. - Source: Peter Tait -
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Spectacular auroras delighted star-gazers in the South Island over the weekend.
The auroras occurred after a huge solar flare - described by scientists as being in the largest category - erupted on the Sun on Friday morning.
Astronomy enthusiasts took to Twitter to share their photos and videos of the colourful display lighting up the clear South Island sky.
A time-lapse video taken at the Church of the Good Shepherd at Lake Tekapo shows the colour variation in the solar radiation that is estimated to move at a speed of about 1368 kilometres a second.
The display was also seen in the United States, the United Kingdom and parts of Europe.
The storm is part of the Sun's normal 11-year cycle, which is expected to reach a peak next year.